


Giving Up The Ghost

by alberthammondjr



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-06-05 04:35:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6689362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alberthammondjr/pseuds/alberthammondjr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lewthur fic cowritten by me and a friend w/o an AO3 account.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. [1] // arthur

**Author's Note:**

> My writing is signed with // lewis in the title of the chapter, my partner signs with // arthur in the title.
> 
> Also, when we write, we write in our pennamesake character's perspectives - Arthur is in 1st person with Arthur, I'm in 1st person with Lewis.

He was my opposite – different in every way- but for some reason, we were inseparable. We never argued. We never fought. We just were. It had been a year. A long year filled with late nights and hugs that seemed to last forever. Our Friday nights huddled in the back of the van watching a movie neither of us had heard of. His Monday morning smiles telling me that it was going to be alright. His laugh, that I heard every day of the week. We were made of moments.

We were bridging the gap between Saturday and Sunday. Friday’s kisses were still left on our lips and the previous night’s warmth was stored in the sheets. Just lying there, watching re-runs of old television shows and smiling aimlessly. We were aimless. We had no direction. No plans for the future. We were made of moments. The in-betweens. The present.

We lived for each other.

That night, time had sped past us and nothing seemed to matter. Hungover from our love drunk night – we woke up, outside some sort of mansion. Vivi must have drove us there. I checked my planner – and this address showed up first on my list.

“Paranormal experiences” It read underneath the address.

It was our job to investigate the paranormal. Usually – I was used to creepy houses. But this place was more…intimidating than previous places I had visited. The sheer size of it had me shaking. Lewis’s hand met mine – and I nodded. Nothing bad could happen when he had me. He protected me, and I protected him.

I was reluctant to go inside at first, but I let Lewis lead the way. It was dark. I held tighter to his hand, until we were basically one. Nothing would make me let go. We kept walking, passing corridors leading to rooms I didn’t want to discover. Lewis didn’t let go. I looked up at him, and we shared a look of encouragement. We would get through this.

The four of us encountered some form of crossroads. Lewis took me down the left path, assuring me that everything was going to be okay. I believed him. I always believed him.

The path was long. It grew darker. It felt like the walls were closing in on me. I was so small in this. I was so insignificant.

The path had opened up now, but at the end of the path the was a pit. Spikes pushed up from the ground, pointing at me. “Lewis! Let’s go back!” I yelled, desperation flooding my voice. He couldn’t hear me, he was leaning over the edge. He had seen something at the bottom of the pit. His eyes glinted with some sort of excitement. I didn’t ask about what he had seen.

That’s when I felt it.

It was painful. My arm pulsing for no real reason. I looked at Lewis – still calling for him to back away. Lewis shook his head. Just one moment.

I begged for him to come away before my anxiety acted up – but he wasn’t having none of it. He told me to be quiet, to take deep breaths, that he’s be with me in a second. I trusted him.

My arm was in even more pain than it was before now – and I couldn’t resist the temptation to look any longer. What I saw was not my arm. It was a monster. I wanted to scream but my mouth was shut in fear.

Everything went blank for a moment. I can recall the small things. My scream, telling whatever it was that was in my arm to get out. The feeling of my hand against Lewis’s back.

And then everything came back. I was watching him fall. I screamed louder than he did. The spikes killed him instantly – and I stood silently, staring blankly at his corpse. I shook my head.

No…he can’t be dead.

Vivi came in soon after, Mystery following close behind her. The dog ran up to me, and I smiled weakly. This dog was what brought the three of us together. Mystery stopped, mid run, and stared at my arm.

They say dogs can smell fear. I must have reeked of it. Mystery opened his mouth and bit off my pulsing arm – gritting his teeth against my screams. They seemed to echo over every wall of this mansion. It hurt so badly. Like razors, or knives.

My arm was gone. Just like that. And…Lewis was dead. I tried to explain what happened but my mouth always dried up when Vivi asked how he fell. I didn’t remember.

It took me a while – but then I realised.

I killed Lewis.

 


	2. [2] // lewis

Arthur and I were friends.

No, we were more than friends. I loved him and he loved me back - we loved each other mutually with a burning passion. It was absolutely fantastic. We did everything together, and there were small rare moments where we were separated. On cold nights where it was to frigid to sleep on my own, Arthur was by my side. He was my teddy bear - as I was his.

Maybe that was the reason why I was surprised when he had suddenly pushed me off the cliff.

It was a colder night than most that month, and Arthur and I were silently dozing off in the back of the van when Vivi had announced our arrival. I nudged the other awake, and we climbed out of the back and were met with the night air once more. It took me a little while more to wake myself up, but we were soon on our way to the first stop of the night.

The first stop was a mansion. It looked old, and immediately I had a bad reaction to the environment.

“Nothing bad.” I muttered to myself, clasping a trembling Arthur’s hand in mine and smiling reassuringly. The four of us, Mystery, Vivi, Arthur and I headed into the mansion with Vivi leading, followed by Arthur, Mystery, and me.

Dark twists and turns in the hallways soon led our group to a mysterious cavern. The unmistakable uneasiness seemed to grow, but the near-harmony of Arthur and I helped me to cope with the feeling as we headed deeper.

It didn’t take us long before we came upon a split in the cavern. Arthur and I went to the left, while Mystery and Vivi had headed towards the right.

Once we were alone, Arthur had clung to my side.

“There’s nothing to worry about, Arty, we’ll be fine.” I spoke, gently placing a kiss on the other’s forehead and making him smile.

“Do you promise?” he asked timidly, holding onto my left hand with both his.

“I promise.” I echoed, gently pecking his lips before tugging him along. “C’mon, we don’t want to have Vivi nor Mystery worrying.”

Arthur smiled before following me again.

Soon, we came upon a cliff overseeing a dark green pit speckled with spikes. I was enthralled by the curious spikes. I walked up to the edge, holding my slightly dimming torch in front of me to illuminate the stalagmites. They pulsed with a slightly green energy that lit the room with a dim glow.

I heard a voice calling for me. It was Arthur’s, but I was so entranced by the formations that I ignored his pleas. My feet shuffled to the edge. Small chunks of dust fell from the peak but I paid no mind to them.

When I felt a cold and clammy hand upon my back, I turned around - and saw Arthur with his hand pressed against the base of my neck. The most strange feature about him was that half of his face was covered with a dark green and sickly color.

“Arthur, what are-”

His lips twisted into a sickly grin before he pushed me off the cliff.

I screeched as I fell. There was a brief moment where our eyes met before Arthur disappeared from my view. I began to cry hard - though, my tears did not last long, for before I knew it, I was impaled through my stomach and my chest by one of the stalagmites.

Immediately, my vision cut off as I hacked up globs of blood that covered me in my entirety. My breaths were shallow as I looked towards what I thought was the ceiling as I began to question why.

Why had the one I trusted the most - the one I  _ loved - _ pushed me off the edge?

My thoughts seized once my heart stopped beating, and they began once again as the golden essence that was my soul ascended. The ascension filled me with an unmistakable feeling: hatred. Pure, unfiltered hatred for my murderer - though it was the most unlikely person to do it to me.

Arthur.


	3. [3] // arthur

Something had changed - and I hated it. I was terrified. There was a ghost in this house - and it was only after me.

So naturally - I hid myself away. Alone.

The time that I had been hiding was a mystery I didn't want to solve. I hadn't changed, and there were still bloodstains on my shirt from my bloodied shoulder where my arm used to be. I kept trying to recall each hour, backwards - until I stopped on the night of Lewis's death. I recalled it slowly - to remember every detail.

I was begging him to come.away from the edge. My arm was in pain. It was crawling up to my shoulder, into my neck. Blackness. And then he was falling. Our eyes met - and his expression...it still haunts me. His shock. His sadness.

He trusted me.

And I killed him.

The events of the night replayed in my mind - and I found myself whispering "Sorry" to the air, thousands of times in the hope that Lewis could hear me.

Something was angry with me. Someone hated me and wanted me out of this world for good. It wanted me dead. It was hunting me down and nobody else. I managed to get Vivi and Mystery to leave - whilst I 'cleared up' the investigation.

It was funny - since I had been hiding ever since. The ghost grew more violent now I was alone. Now he could hurt me. Now Vivi wasn't there to protect me.

I was alone. I was alone. I was alone.

Nobody could save me.

I was going to die - that was out of the question. It was just a question of how long I was going to last.

The ghost appeared for the first time the day after Lewis died. We had thought he was aiming at the three of us - but we soon came to realise he only wanted to hurt me. Vivi and Mystery knew they were safe.

"Go..." I told them, smiling fakely "Pick me up in four days. I'll message you if anything changes. Trust me - I'll figure this out."

Vivi nodded reluctantly - leaving me alone in the mansion. The ghost dropped chandeliers from the cieling and chased me relentlessly for hours. I found a room. It was big, and had a big lock on the door. The kind you locked from the inside. I bolted them shut - and placed my ghost tracking equiptment by my side.

I slammed my bodyweight against the door. Nobody could find me here - as long as I never left.

I couldn't stop crying. My boyfriend was dead - and I was on the verge of death myself.

The ghost tracking equiptment lay dormant for the first day. However, my anxiety willed me not to open the door.

The second day - I wondered if the ghost had left. Nothing had happened. I still didn't open the door.

It was like Lewis was still in the room with me. I was still sending him text messages.

> Sent - 19.07 //Lewis!

> Sent 19.30 //Lewis? You okay?

> Sent 00.03 //oh i remember

> Sent 00.04 // fuck im sorry i didnt

> Sent 00.07 // i didnt

> Sent 00.18 // something happened it wasnt me

> Sent 01.32 // i love you

> Sent 01.54 // i cant sleep without you

> Sent 03.58 // im scared

It took me ages to realise he was gone. Gone for good.

The third day - I needed water. Badly. I pulled out my phone and texted Vivi to see if I could get some water delivered.

> Sent 06.33 // everything is great can you drop some water off outside please?

> Recieved 06.47 // - We'll be over soon!

Then it happened.

The ghost equiptment whirred to life - indicating the presence of something else close to me. I pressed my body weight against the door in fear of being discovered.

The door wasn't opened - but the ghost slid right through it regardless. The skeleton stared at me - anger in his eyes.

"Wh-what have I done?!" I yelled, my voice shaking "I've already had enough trouble as it is! I've been possessed, forced to kill my boyfriend, had my arm bitten off, and I'm thirsty as fuck! What have you got against me, too?" I broke down, telling the ghost everything that happened. "If it's fear you want - I'm terrified. So I hope you're happy" I mumbled, shaking my head. "You might as well kill me. Now that Lewis is gone."

The ghost stared silently at me for a few moments. The moments filled up the room - until I seemed to be drowning in them. I missed Lewis so much.

The ghost drew closer to me, watching me shake with fear. This was it.

"Arthur... Don't you know who I am?"


	4. [4] // lewis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fucking sucks, I'm sorry.
> 
> \- Lewis

“It’s me, Arthur. Don’t you remember me?”

If I still had my mouth, I would be wickedly grinning. The psychopathy that was residing in the caves seeped into my heart, infecting it with a scrolling list with comorbid hatreds. Most of them related to what I started to call ‘the event’, but many still pertained to the electric yellow ghost hunter whom I loved.

I tossed my head back and a luscious pompadour of rosy pink fire adorned my head like a king’s crown.

“It’s me, Lewis! The one you _killed_! I’m surprised you’ve forgotten! Well, I’ll make you remember, kid, and I’ll make sure you’ll never forget it.”

With those words, I winded up my swinging punch - stopping short when I heard Arthur cry out again.

“Lewis, I love you, it wasn’t me!”

I stood in place, the soft pink glow engulfing my fist fading.

“What do you mean _it wasn’t me_?”

“I-I was possessed.” Arthur admitted, a sliver of anxiety falling away as I settled myself down. “I tried to warn you about it. I repeatedly cried out for you to get away from the ledge. You didn’t listen - you didn’t give a shit. Then this green _monster_ possessed me. It crawled up to me and took control of my body. Turned me evil and green. I - no, _it -_ then pushed you off of the cliff.”

I looked at him, bewildered.

“When our eyes met, that’s when I realized what had happened. Your expression when you died was one that made me want to leap after. But the demon wouldn’t allow it.” Arthur explained. “It then went to try to torture me - but that’s when Vivi and Mystery found me. They asked me what happened - and saw that I had pushed you off the cliff. Vivi began to berate me, but Mystery stopped her and said that I had no control. That’s when he bit off my arm.”

Arthur shrugged off his orange puffy vest before rolling up the limp sleeve and revealing a stump of an arm.

“I then stayed behind and pushed both Vivi and Mystery away. I stayed here for four days before this - this event, I g-guess…” he said, before unrolling the sleeve and putting his vest on again. “I ran away from you because it seemed like you were about to murder me.”

I looked at Arthur before sighing.

“I was.” I admitted. “I really was about to kill you before you stopped me.”

Arthur sighed in relief.

“After you left me for dead, I became this.” I said, emphasizing my body. “I then possessed the home and began to terrorize everyone inside - including you. When you hid, I brainstormed ideas. I created the deadbeats and they helped me find you.”

“Y’mean those purple ghost gold-hearted ones?”

“Yes, them.” I replied, sighing. “Really, I can summon them at will.”

The small slivers of kindness in my heart fizzled away I felt as my emotions completely switch.

“Which is why I’ll summon them to murder you.”

“W-WHAT?!” Arthur screeched, clearly shocked by my change of emotion.


	5. [5] // arthur

Lewis had changed so quickly - I knew there must have been something going on. He changed from wanting to save me - to wanting to kill me.

It wasn't my fault. He must understand it by now. I was possesed - I turned evil against my will. It hurt so much - the monster tortured me for every second it was part of me.

What would have happened if Mystery hadn't saved me? Would I have killed Vivi and Mystery too? I could have killed everyone against my will.

"Lewis - don't you understand?" I yelled, still confused as to why he had changed so quickly. "You can't just kill me now! Did you even listen to me?"

Lewis nodded, grinning. "Of course I did - but do you really think I'd believe you?"

I couldn't do this. Lewis had to understand somehow. He had to. He needed to believe me. I didn't deserve this - no matter what he believed. Because I didn't kill him. The monster did.

I wasn't evil! I wasn't! Lewis thought I was - though. He wasn't looking at me when the monster became part of me. He didn't see the green possessing my body. He just felt the push - and saw the confusion in my eyes.

Deadbeats began to fill the the room, cornering me at the back of the room. Lewis had changied so quickly. The deadbeats followed him so blindly - willingly obeying Lewis's order to kill me. "Lewis! Please!" I begged.

"You're going to feel the pain I felt! You're going to be left alone for eternity!" He laughed madly - glaring at me. I couldn't see love. I just saw anger, rage. He wanted me dead.

This wasn't the Lewis I knew. The Lewis I knew loved me. Cared about me. Would calm me down every time I was crying. The Lewis I knew would understand.

"You can't do this... This isn't who you are." I muttered, shaking my head in fear.

The ghost grinned "Oh but I can do this. And I will" he sighed, pushing the deadbeats towards me. I sheilded my face with my hands, hoping not to get hurt.

"Don't do this! I still love you - Lewis!" I begged him. "I've been going insane without you. I can't stand the thought of being alone"

Lewis smiled, placing his ghostly hand on my neck. I could still feel it. It was choking me "You'll have to get used to it! After this is over - I'll make sure you can't come back."

"But what about us? What about Vivi? What about the way you held my hand when I was scared? I was begging for you to come away! I just felt it.. I knew something bad was going to happen. I just knew it.." I admitted. I glared at Lewis - not sure how I should be feeling. I didn't want to fight back.

Lewis showed no emotion - tightening the grip on my neck. "You were planning to kill me - that's why!" He yelled "You were lying to me all this time - weren't you?"

Lewis was wrong. He was so wrong.

"No...I love you more than anyone else in the world. I missed you so much - and I swear you used to be the only thing keeping me alive" I sighed. We fell in love when I was depressed - on the verge of suicide. The anxiety had got too much for me.

"Well - isn't it ironic that I'll get to kill you?" He smirked - preparing to kill me.

I was shaking and crying desperatly now - scared for my life. "Lewis. Don't you remember that I love you? I still love you! If you're here, then I want us to fall in love again. I want us to live in this mansion. I want us to stay up at night, cuddling until the sun comes up. Don't you remember that?"

Lewis fell silent - loosening the grip on my neck.

"I-I remember."


	6. [6] // lewis

My vibrant, shining golden beating heart settled into a dull and matte gold as I removed my hand from Arthur’s throat. Immediately he placed his hand on his chest, breathing heavily as he caught his breath. I looked at the deadbeats, nodding before they retreated into my heart.

“I remember now.” I repeated. I removed the heart that had beat to a silent serenade, tapping it to reveal a picture of Arthur and I. I held him in a living and breathing embrace and held a smile that made the other grin brightly. His wild butter-colored hair was ever so slightly tangled - yet it managed to stay absolutely radiant and neat. “You and I…”

“We were wonderful.” Arthur spoke.

“Then why did you kill me?” I asked, closing the heart before replacing it.

“Like I’ve said - I was possessed, Lewis. I had zero control of my actions.” he replied, going to grab at a non-existent arm. Instead, he went to cup at the still-bloodied stumped remains.

“What the hell happened to you?!” I screeched, immediately going to place my hand over the stump before Arthur could speak again.

Arthur sighed before speaking.

“Mystery bit it off not long after I pushed you off the edge. It grew an eye - looking at me before scampering away.”

“Was it sickeningly green?”

“Yes, yes it was.”

“So that’s it…” I muttered, catching the attention of the exhausted ghost hunter.

“You’ve seen it?”

“Yes, I’ve seen it.” I replied. “I had to get it out of the mansion.”

Arthur looked at my hand, then into my glowing pink eyes - as if to tell me to lay it off. So I did - I drew back my hand and returned it to my side before sitting down.

We sat in eerie silence for what seemed like eons before I spoke again.

“I’m pretty sure it’s gone.”

I then reached a ghostly finger out to lightly trace the slight orange aural ring surrounding the stump.

“But we have to fix your arm. Get you a prosthetic.”

“Already got plans.” Arthur said, looking quizzically at what I was doing. “Vivi and Mystery aren’t here. I’ll just have Vivi bring me supplies for the arm the next time she brings food around.”

I nodded.

“How are you going to live here?” I asked. “I mean, you’re still alive.”

“I apologize.”

I raised one finger, closing my eyes as I took in an unneeded breath in sharply. I then let it out before shaking my head.

“You don’t need to apologize, Arthur. You’ve done it enough.”

Arthur looked down, gently clawing at his left side to replace thumb-fiddling.

“I mean, I could have Viv-”

“We’re not going to have them over.” I interrupted. “Too much trouble.”

The other man sighed.

“Then how am I supposed to get to work?”

“I can catch you a vehicle.” I said, nodding.

“Y’mean stealing one?”

“Yeah, taking one and possessing it.” I replied, gently laughing. “It’s a hell of a lot of fun to do. I’d rec- Oh, right, you’re alive and I’m  _ dead. _ ”

I shook my head before continuing.

“Anyway, I can get you a ride then you can move here. Really, you don’t need to bring anything. Just clothes and valuable items.”

Arthur looked at me before smiling.

“You’re the only valuable item I really have anymore.”

The pink fire-hair on my head grew slightly hotter as if I was blushing.

“Stop it, Arthur.”

“Y’know it’s true.” Arthur replied, giggling. His laughter was contagious - and soon I found myself wrapped in laughter broken only by my glowing pink eyes getting lost in his eyes of a matte orange hue. 

We both sighed in unison.

“I sincerely love you, Lewis.”

If I could smile, I would.

“I do too.”

I scooped up Arthur’s head in my large hands and pressed the middle spike on my skull-head to his lips - as if I was giving him a kiss. He picked up on this, too. He held onto my shoulder with one arm and allowed his hand to drape against my back as he deepened the kiss before drawing his head back.

“Just as sweet as I remember them, Lew.” Arthur commented sweetly.

“As with you.”


End file.
